Saint Stephen of Hungary Church, Parish church in Nagybörzsöny, Hungary.

Saint Stephen of Hungary Church stands on a hilltop away from the center of Nagybörzsöny, surrounded by a 17th-century stone wall. Its nave and sanctuary were built in the early 13th century from brownish-red trachyte, originally unplastered. The slender west tower has twin windows on its third and fourth levels, and the lower, east-facing apse is separated from the nave by a triumphal arch. The south entrance is topped by three round-arched Romanesque windows.

The church is dedicated to Stephen I, Hungary's first king who established Christianity as the state religion starting in the year 1000. This dedication connects the sanctuary to the origins of Christian Hungary.

The church is dedicated to Saint Stephen, and its parish feast is held on 20 August. The 19 bearded heads carved into the main cornice are said to represent Tatars defeated after the Mongol invasion; a twentieth space was left empty for the one who escaped.

The church stands on a hilltop outside the village centre, so the walk up is part of the visit; the surrounding 17th-century stone wall and the raised position mean the building is seen from below before you reach it. The nave opens through a south-side entrance beneath three Romanesque windows, and the east-facing apse is the first part you pass on the way round.

On the main cornice, 20 arched panels are carved but only 19 bearded Tatar heads fill them. The empty panel is said to have been left for the one invader who escaped, should he ever return. The heads are meant to warn off the Tatars who attacked the village.